By Caleb Duncan When I was 12 years old, I saw down in the living room with my mom, dad, brother and sister. My dad had called a family powwow, and it seemed important. “Kids,” he said,” Me and your mother love you all. And I want you to know that God is calling your dad to serve another church.” … Read More
Pursuing Maturity: Indicators of a Healthy Church
One of the roles of the Renew Montana Network is to help churches assess their spiritual health. Our measurement tool is designed around nine indicators of spiritual maturity. There are three identities (worshipper, family, missionaries), three foundations (gospel, scripture, prayer), and three structures (leadership, membership, discipleship). Each of us must be continually renewed in each of these areas. Are you … Read More
The Revitalization/Replant Window
The following article is from The Resound Network, a ministry of the Missouri Baptist Convention. It provides some important information on revitalization and replanting. To print a PDF of this article, click here. Seasons of growth, plateau and decline are present in almost every church at some point in its history. For some churches a season of decline could lead … Read More
Get to Know our Church Planting Missionaries in Montana – The Bourne Family
I want to encourage you to take time to get to know your North American missionaries that serve in Montana. When you give to the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (North American Missions Offering) you support thirteen missionaries from the northwest corner of the state to the eastern plains; from the towns bordering Canada to places along … Read More
Plant, Replant, or Die
800-900 Southern Baptist churches die in our country every year! Over 77% of these churches are in communities larger than 100,000 people, according to NAMB. Over 90% of these churches are in population centers that have grown over the past decade. The problem is real. But to whom does this problem belong? It belongs to us. It’s mine and yours, … Read More
Wolf Point Native Church
About The Shermans are replanting a church in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Wolf Point Native Church was close to closing and was only being kept open by the pastor of another church. The Shermans have been called here from Arkansas and are excited to see positive changes in the people of Wolf Point and the surrounding … Read More
One of Montana’s Oldest Churches Gets a New Start
Bethel Baptist Church, one of the oldest Baptist churches in Montana, has recently taken on a new life. The Billings church, established in 1959, became the first church in Montana to complete NAMB’s Replant process. The replant was sponsored by LifeWay Church of Billings and is pastored by Jeremy Bourne. Jeremy is the former youth pastor, then associate pastor at … Read More
Bethel Baptist Church (Billings)
About The Bournes are replanting a church in a diverse neighborhood close to downtown Billings known as the South Side. The Bournes have loved and lived in this neighborhood since 2010 and began to dream of doing ministry here immediately after moving in. God closed many doors until opening the one He had planned. It is perfectly located, within a … Read More